Fairview Houses in Joliet rocked by gunfire for 2nd time in 2 weeks

One man may have been left paralyzed by shooting

A view of the Fairview housing complex on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012, in Joliet, Ill. Police encouraged witnesses to step forward and call detectives at 815-724-3020. If they wish to remain anonymous they can call Crimestoppers of Will County at 800-323-6734 or contact Crimestoppers through its website, crimestoppersofwillcounty.org.

As many as 100 shots were fired Monday night in the second gun attack at the Fairview Homes in less than two weeks.

One man was wounded and might have been paralyzed, Joliet Deputy Police Chief Al Roechner said.

The wounded 26-year-old was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox Monday night, Roechner said, but may have been airlifted to another hospital.

The man had been shot in the upper chest about 11 p.m. and was found in the back of Robin Lane, Roechner said.

Fairview resident Tonya Harris said she was sitting on the front step of her Cardinal Lane home, on the opposite side of the rectangular housing project from Robin Lane, when the shots rang out.

“We had to crawl into the house,” Harris said.

“They shot like, 100 shots, I mean, like 100 shots,” she said. “It was so bad. We had to lay on the floor inside the house.”

Roechner said callers reported hearing 25 to 100 shots.

“It was everywhere, and it was two or three guns,” Harris said. “It’s crazy over here.”

Roechner said the wounded man was unarmed when police found him. He said witnesses told of seeing a light-colored car.

“There was a crowd of 60 or 70 people,” he said. “Nobody saw anything. Nobody would talk to us.”

There was another group that did speak with officers but were not exactly helpful, Roechner said.

“There were several associates of the victim there. They told us, ‘Get the [expletive] off the Hill,’ ” he said. “That’s not going to stop us. We’re not going to get off the Hill.”

Housing Authority of Joliet Chief Executive Officer Michael Simelton said he was at the housing complex about 9 p.m. Monday, and “things seemed very quiet.”

“In most of these cases, which is what it was last night, this was a nonresident on our property,” Simelton said.

Police did not provide any information about the suspect.

“The best solution for Fairview at this time is demolition, and that’s what we’re moving toward,” Simelton said.